Food. Lifestyle. Ramblings

Product review

Mediatek, organised its third chapter of its Technology Diaries series in Bangalore. The third chapter in the series was hosted by Bengaluru’s voice & much loved RJ, Sriram Sullia of Fever 104FM.

Co-hosting the series was the “Tech Guru” Rajiv Makhni, managing editor at NDTV and host of a show Tech Makhni on Radio Mirchi, along with Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India and Anuj Sidharth, Sr. Manager, Marketing and Communications, MediaTek India.

About the Mediatek Technology Diaries, Bangalore :

We, saw the evening unfold as RJ Sriram Sullia talk about how technology has progressed by the leaps and bounds and how it has established itself in our daily lives. One of the most important & eye opening questions posed to the audience was, ” Name one smart device or a thing that we use at home which doesn’t use a chip?” And that question caught all of us off guard, as we just couldn’t name one.

The Tech Guru aka Rajiv Makhni then went ahead to demystify the usage and the implementation of nanotechnology in our day to day lives and how it has become an intrinsic part of our environment. What was the most surprising snippet of the conversation was the fact that majority of the times, the devices that we use are Mediatek enabled. From mobile to health industry, Mediatek is prevalent amongst a majority of the devices that rely on the chip.

Rajiv Makhni, touched the topic of Artificial Intelligence in Self Driven Cars. Personally, i’m a tad bit too unsure of relying on self driven cars but with the exponential rise in the development of AI that day isn’t too far when i’m going to be open to this technology.

This system will increase speed for face recognition in both the security system and the camera. We are also on the lookout for their Helio P90 which is scheduled to be out soon.

About Mediatek :

MediaTek is the world’s 4th largest global fabless semiconductor company and powers more than 1.5 billion devices a year. It is a market leader in power-efficient systems-on-chip (SoC) for mobile devices, smart home solutions, and automotive.

Conclusion:

We are progressing towards a world that’s going to be held with the strings of technology even more tightly & firmly than what we are subjected to today. MediaTek, has already heralded that & has made the whole concept of A I much more understandable & lucrative.

Last Saturday, cooking became a little more easier & a lot more convenient. While all of us dread those prep hours in the kitchen ( aloo kato, lauki dholo, Garam masala pees lo, etc) , the scariest part is keeping a keen eye on the process after the prep session. It’s like you need to be glued near the stovetop & if it’s the pressure cooker day then you must be in sync mode with the “Seeti” aka “Whistle”.

Wonderchef, comes across as a saviour & promises to ease your stress. Wonderchef unveils an advanced way of nutritious cooking, with their “Nutri-Pot”.

After 14 months of rigorous market research and product design, Wonderchef has curated a fully automated appliance, that brings health, taste and convenience in your daily cooking.

With 6 Litre capacity, Nutri-pot prevents over–cooking of food protecting precious vitamins and minerals. PIt uses only optimum amount of water for cooking. The tight – fitting lid traps the steam rising from the food within the pot, retaining important nutrients within the food.

Nutri-Pot offers a delay timer that allows one to program when exactly to begin cooking. One can go for shopping and come back to a freshly – cooked hot meal. Apart from the above features, Nutri-Pot also offers:

2. Hard-anodized inner pot – The process of anodizing makes the aluminium harder and non-reactive ensuring years of hassle-free use, faster cooking and even heat distribution

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“Wonderchef has always focussed on offering innovative and quality products to its customers. A thorough research based approach led to the curation of this product. We have customized the built-in functions as per the Indian cooking style. The delay timer feature offers convenience to the customers at finger-tips”, Says Ravi Saxena, Managing Director, Wonderchef.

Nutri-Pot is available for pre-booking on wonderchef.nutripot.com and in retail stores across India.

How tired are you, of waiting for your table at your favourite restaurant? How tired are you of always paying the full price? How tired are you, of going out to eat turning into a chore and being less of a fun experience? If, you’re very tired then I’ve got just the right app for you, that answers all your queries & banishes those qualms.

Allow me to introduce you to ” not just another table reservation app”, but to an app that will be encompassing a lot of features for your dining experience to be better. The app, in discussion is “Gottable-Reserve Fine Dining”.

About Gottable :

The application is available on both your Android Play store and your IOS App Store. The app focuses on establishing a symbiotic relationship between the restaurant and the diner.

Apart from reserving your table at the restaurant of your choice, they also believe in proffering great deals and offers for you when you dine, using the app. They get you the best deals in and around the location that you choose by their Geolocation deal finder and within 3-4 minutes of tapping into the app, you can enjoy the offer as per your convenience.

You may also, order your food through the app at a restaurant near to you. They still need to add more restaurants to the app, but I’m only hopeful for the best.

Basically, it’s an app which lets you book your table, order your food at the comfort of your home or order a takeaway.

Visual walkthrough of App and how to book your table:

Launch the app on your phone:

Choose your Location and a drop down of restaurants and offers are shown :

Choose restaurant of choice:

Book table :

Log in your details :

And, your table is booked. Now you can enjoy your meal, along with the offer that you have chosen.

You as a user of the app get to savour quite a few rewards, for patronising the app. They have “Loyalty Rewards, Event invites, Prizes, etc”.

What I liked about the App :

Doesn’t require too much space on your phone, about 30MB big.

Easy and attractive UI , which I’m sure will be improving in the coming updates.

I, love my tools & it is imperative that they are, perfect. We have all fallen head over heels with the new makeup trend, that hit the first half of 2016.

“Yes, I’m talking about the oval brushes”

Oval brushes have changed the way, you perceive makeup applications. What used to take a good 10 minutes, now takes only 3 minutes.

What are Oval Brushes?

Oval brushes are the latest & the most sought after trend, in the beauty community. These oval brushes are synthetic, densely packed & extremely soft on your skin. They look like little hairbrushes or toothbrushes, but do wonders the minute they touch your face. They give you a very even application & save up on the product, that you use.

Who is Anamika Sureka Malik?

This lady, is a powerhouse of inspiration for all those beauty enthusiasts, who want to explore their options. She runs a hugely successful blog “WiseShe” and manages her YouTube Channel “WiseShe”, where she uploads videos on beauty related queries. She has been an active member of the beauty community and has decided to launch a set of oval brushes.

I, received these beauties in the mail for an exchange of an honest review.

The 3 brushes that I received were :

Concealer Brush

Eyebrow Filling & Shaping Brush

Crease & Tear Duct Brush

I, honestly believe that, these oval brushes are subjective to what you feel suits you. I, have used these brushes for the above reasons and named them accordingly. What I mean by that is, what is to me a concealer brush might do you well as a Nose Contour Brush.

So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

Concealer Brush : I loved the fact, that the concealer brush, concealed my under eyes and filled the fine lines up, in just 2 swipes. I didn’t need to do much. It also, doubles up as a cheek contour brush, for some light contouring. Hands down, my favourite one. Just look at how densely it’s packed and it left no streaks, just full coverage in 2 swipes. Bye bye mini beauty blender.

Eyebrow Filling & Shaping Brush : This thin and finely tapered brush, is your best bet if you like filling your brows with a brow powder. If you’re more of a pomade girl, then this brush helps you shape up & clean your brow work by neatly drawing on sharp lines with a concealer. I just wish, it was a little more dense, as the product kept getting dispersed while using the brow powder.

Crease & Tear Duct Brush : This brush is a wonder, if you’re in a hurry but would like to put on a little makeup. The round tip of the brush, helps give you a neat crease filling situation. It also doubles up as a highlighter brush for the tear ducts.

This was my makeup look, which I created using these oval brushes, by multi tasking them. The look, which was achieved using these brushes was subtle, even and great for daily wear.

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Verdict : The brushes are quite good and do a fair enough job at their uses, but i would suggest that they are a little more densely packed especially the “Eyebrow Filling Brush” and have a much sturdy material for the body. They look aesthetically pleasing, but the feel when I’m holding them physically isn’t very pleasing.

My best wishes for the venture to this beautiful lady, who herself is an inspiration to many.

Rating : 3.5/5

P.S. : The picture of Anamika Sureka Malik, has been procured from google photos.

“Come, let us have some tea and talk about happy endings. – Chaim Potok

That’s the power of tea. Tea time is always that special part of the day, where you relax with your camaraderie or yourself and think of all the beautiful things in the world. I’m a tea connoisseur and I love all kinds of tea. Light, strong, Mint, Soursop, first flush, second flush, Green or Black.

For me it’s more about exploring the taste rather than addicting myself to one kind of tea. I, was pleasantly surprised when I received these beautes in the mail for a product review. The product was a ” F&B Product, For Review – powered by FBCI – Food Bloggers Council, INDIA”

The product given for review, was Garnet Glow ‘s Tea Sachets. Mirthful with joy, I started savouring these for a period of 3 days.

About Garnet Glow :

Garnet Glow, is an online Gourmet tea selling website, dedicated to bringing you, nothing but the best teas sourced from “China, India & Japan”. They have a carefully selected blend of teas, each premium in its own right, to match your personal taste. They also have “monthly subscription plans”, for a nomad tea soul, like me. You take a quiz and they send you blends accordingly, every month. Alternatively, you can also make your own blend 👍🏻

Coconut Darjeeling Tea : The tea was light and extremely cleansing on the palate. I, was expecting more of the coconuty flavour, but it was subdued. I did see, thin shreds of coconut in my tea and that was eye candy for my tea loving soul. A little more coconut aka tropical flavour would make this a total deal.

Here’s how the tea looked like :

Peach Tea : I, mean this from the deepest parts of my heart. I love Peach teas and the hot ones always second best to the iced ones. This peach tea was one of the best, with a subtle yet profound note of peach & that delectable fruity flavour. My favourite!

Here’s how the tea looked :

Masala Grove : A perfect companion for your milk tea. The masala Tea had the perfect blend of aromatics in it. Just the whiff of the tea, will make you love this deeply. When it was paired with milk, the results were, clean notes and warm flavours, perfect for a rainy day.

Here’s how the tea looked :

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Verdict : Garnet Glow Teas are truly premium in range and are specially blended carefully to provide the perfect feel. I, enjoyed my teas but Peach tea was my favourite. I, would blindly recommend it for anyone who in their sane minds love some fruity flavour. Even as the tea seeps, your kitchen is filled with the aroma.

“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart“- A.A. Milne

How true do the words of A.A.Milne ring, in your heart, when you think about gifting a loved one or for that matter anyone a moment of appreciation from your life.

The whole idea of gifting, is to make the loved one feel, loved. You, certainly don’t need an occasion or a reason to gift. In today’s world, where everything has become electronic, where wishes are conveniently conveyed by emoticons and by the tippity-tap of the keyboard- the need to retain that personal touch, is even more than before.

But, the problem persists in the fact that, we all are chained to work schedules or other commitments. Even, if you decide to go and buy a gift, you are short of time or are made to accept whatever you get. Ergo, that thrill of selecting the best gift fades?

IGP- Indian Gift Portal, strives to revive those heartfelt moments, but at the comfort of your home, office or just about anywhere. IGP is such a saviour at these moments of time crunch. They have beautifully curated sections of gifting. For example, ” Gifts for elderly women 50+ ” and many more apt categories. There’s something for everyone👍🏻

Another little note that I want to make is of the fact that, the UI of IGP, is just the most smooth and pleasing one. The minimalistic red and white theme is so typical to gifting. Had no goof ups during browsing, so that’s a yes.

From the past 15 years, IGP has been delivering happiness to their customers worldwide. Yes, when you use IGP, you can send gifts all the way, across the seas. That’s one of their main USP’s, apart from having a wide range of over 80,000 gift products. Literally, you’re just spoilt for choice.

Like a gift and want to send it abroad? Don’t worry about calculating the shipping costs, there is a little tab, which tells you how much the gift would cost, inclusive of all taxes for that specific country.

IGP delivers to 90 countries and that in itself, is an achievement. With Holi, round the corner, this portal will be your go to, for Holi online shopping.

My Experience with IGP:

I, wanted to surprise mum with just the right gift for her. She’s a hardcore “Bone China” collector, she loves a good tea set, though she doesn’t drink tea. I’ve been on a lookout for the perfect one and found mine on the IGP. It’s a beautiful- wheat coloured, Rose printed Chinese tea set. I’m so in love with it. Quality wise, the set was superb. The tea set was exactly, like how it was depicted on the website.

Quality – ✅

Aesthetic appeal- ✅

VFM-✅

I, ordered these gifts and they were home in 2 days flat, even though it was the normal delivery option. The packaging as well as the little personalised note, which comes with each package is another feature, that will please the customer.

Allow me, to tell you how I found the perfect gift for her in about 10 minutes max. IGP, makes your life easier by this innovative feature on the website called “Gift Discovery” or the “Gift Suggester”.

Here’s how it worked for me. All you need to do is:

Choose one of the tabs that says “Gift Someone”

Select “Recipient“, like man or woman

Select “Relationship”, like mother, father, husband, etc

Select “Occasion”, like birthday, anniversary, etc.

Select your gift from the wide range of choices given.

Opt for your kind of delivery, that is, “Standard, One Day or Midnight”

Pay accordingly.

Relax 😁 IGP has you sorted.

The look on her face, when I surprised her out of nowhere was fabulous. 😍

Here’s how I had set it up:

I, also ordered Glass tea votives for her, which again are gorgeous. They were super affordable too, priced at Rs.160/- only and were a steal. Saving them for another day!

Though, she doesn’t drink tea, me and her sat down in the porch, with our cups of “Kahwa” and enjoyed the moment. Now, that moment- priceless. ❤️

My Verdict : I’d totally look into this site, for all my gifting needs, for the sheer fact that they have a huge selection of gifts and they are specially curated, on the basis of relationship, occasion, recipient and city. You can save yourself the pain of ordering something that looks super great and when it comes home, it ends up looking like a cheap imitation of what you saw.

We all love some pampering, once we’re up from the deep slumber. Nothing really uplifts your mood, better than a nice & a well-thought out breakfast. Think about it, your hunger ensconced by sleep, raving madly to be let loose, once the blocky lines of dreams are erased.

Not on all days, do you have a ravenous morning appetite, but on the days you do hear a lot of grumbles, treat yourself to the buffet breakfast at ” La Brasserie “, situated inside “Le Meridien” .

Come along, let’s break some bread 🍞

Decor : The decor is that of an empyrean old world charm. The classic chairs, do more than just elevate the ambience. Perfect comfort is what I love. The colour theme is a nice rustic neutral palette, with a little green metal framework to break the monotony.

Hospitality : It’s really no doubt, about how these hotels train their staff to be impeccable. With the head chefs coming and asking you about how your experience is to the wait staff smiling and making you comfortable is commendable.

The Grub Story : Buffet Breakfast (Rs.850/- for an Adult & Rs.390/- for a child above 6 years)

The buffet has a lot to offer. It starts with a decent variety of cereals, a good table of cheese samplers, delectable smoothies & flavoured yogurts, cut fruits, etc.

The mains are where your heart & appetite are left undecided. There’s just so much to choose from, Indian breakfast fare like idlis to American breakfast fare like baked beans. But here are my favourite ones…

My to go were these delectable buttered veggies and grilled tomatoes, followed by sautéed mushrooms & corn cheese bake.

You also had a great selection of breads to choose from, for your toasts.

They had a live section, where the chef made you the on spot preparations as per your liking. I tried the poori bhaji, and all I could say was delicious! Loved the less use of masala, more concentration on right spices for more flavour and the puffy pooris that were melt in the mouth.

The chef was thoughtful enough to make my husbster the “Omelette du fromage Burger”, when he asked for it. Our whims and fancies!!

The dessert section was a decent selection of muffins, danishs,croissants,ice creams and tea cakes. Here’s a glimpse..

Verdict: Basically, I couldn’t be happier. The price tag, that comes with it is completely justifiable, for the amount of variety that they have to offer. The non vegetarians will be pleasantly pleased with the meat based fares too.

I, usually don’t really have a dominant sweet tooth. My equation with dessert or anything sweet is that of availability. If it’s there, oh well, I might as well just taste it. If it isn’t there.. then.. I just saved some precious calories.

But, there is this one brilliantly perfect place, which is ne plus ultra when it comes to proffering Middle Eastern / Arabian desserts. This place, is such a huge part of my childhood. It was the place, I loved barging in and taking a piece of everything. Nothing used to make me more happy than the sight of those dark green cardboard boxes with calligraphy on them.

Whether it was cakes or the traditional Kunafa. I loved em all!! What a huge surprise it was, when.. Papa sent me huge tin boxes of my favourite things for my wedding anniversary 😋🤤

It was a pleasure to savour a memory from childhood. This isn’t just a dessert, it’s a moment, a moment that captured a phase in my life and every time I, indulge in that moment.. I see the little Me. It’s amazing how powerful a certain food is and how you concoct memories with it.

Let me tell you this, that nothing.. absolutely nothing has changed! This boulangerie/ patisserie/ chocolaterie is one of the best in the kingdom. Not only are their products delicious, they are also prepared with stringently high quality ingredients.

I love this box of goodies, which is an assortment of all kinds of Arabian desserts. These are the baklava’s and Mamouls nestled in the tin box. These special boxes are solely for the purpose of gifting. These stay good for a whopping month.( if, you can control the craving to not finish them at one go)

My favourite has to be baklava fingers, hands down. Goodness Gracious!! The punch of sugary flavour with the softness of pistachios and cashews, is just outta the world!

I,simply love their in house Chocolates too. Though they are nothing extraordinary, they surely are a pleasure to eat and a deviant from the snickers, flakes, twix and kit kats. “Cornflake chocolates” are worth a special mention, because I, simply love the feel of biting into a chocolate cylinder and finding crisp bunch of individual cornflakes. It’s like a piñata in your mouth.. out comes the confetti, when you hit it 👍🏻 One bite and you will know, what I mean.

So, if you ever get a chance.. then please.. do give this place a visit and stuff your face with these babies! Make sure, this gets into your bucket list ❤️❤️

The balmy February evening, making you feel all fuzzy was a precursor to an event of grand proportions.

The clickety taps on the keyboards were heard, the wait staff rushing towards last minute finishes & the bustle of excitement increasing by the strike of the minute hand.

This was the scene at the Book Launch by Metro-Cash & Carry’s “25 of India’s Biggest Chefs- their stories & recipes” by Dr. Saagarika Ghoshal.

I, was bestowed with this opportunity,from team “Food Bloggers Association,Bangalore” aka FBAB. They were generous enough to get me a pass, so that I could witness the event.

The venue was “Le Méridien” & we were ushered inside the banquet hall, where the magic would take place. All of us anticipated fervently for Dr. Saagarika Ghoshal’s arrival. Then, there she was.. A beautiful, beige & gold saree clad lady, with a heart melting smile.

She waited on for her guests of honour to arrive; the few of the chefs who are listed on the book. Guests of starry repertoire started trickling in & the event started. *starstruck me*

We were treated to an AV by “Metro-Cash & Carry”, which spoke about the ethics of METRO. Emphasising on how METRO believes in “Local produce, by the Locals & for the Locals”.

The book launching ceremony was conducted by all the esteemed guests of honour & the author herself. With confetti flying up in the air & music that pumped your adrenaline, the book unveiled just in the most magnificent fashion.

On the occasion, Dr. Saagarika Ghoshal also felicitated chefs from across the hospitality industry for their unique creative contributions. Those honoured included chefs Abhijit Saha, Kunal Kapoor, Sabyasachi Gorai and Vicky Ratnani, among others.

Brief insights about Metro-Cash & Carry:

METRO is represented in 26 countries, with 750 self service outlets. Headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, METRO-Cash & Carry is a sales division of “METRO GROUP”.

METRO has built a reputation for the quality of food products and services it offers to hotels, restaurants, catering businesses. The company takes pride in the lasting relationships it has forged to support the food and hospitality sector, and has created the well-recognised Chef-o-logy platform to support and nurture promising culinary talent. The latest recipe book launch is a part of METRO’s continued efforts to showcase such talent among food lovers and cooking enthusiasts.

The magazine called “Foodilicious” by metro

We were also lucky to see, clips of the chefs who couldn’t be present for the launch, send in their best wishes to Dr. Ghoshal.

What is “25 Of India’s Biggest Chefs” all about?

The book has been launched by METRO-Cash & Carry, where it’s a painstakingly beautiful compilation of signature recipes, by the top 25 chefs of India. The list which decided the top 25 chefs wasn’t an easy one. Each chef, had to in his own way, put India onto the culinary map of the world. He had to be an ambassador who had represented India.

So, in regards to that, they came up with the top 25 chefs & went on to tell you personal snippets of their success story, in this book.

The efforts behind this book seem almost facile but it really was far too abstruse, supplemented by sleepless nights, long conversations & numerous cups of coffee. The project reached its completion within a span of 6 months.

Here’s the list of who’s who of the culinary world, listed in this book:

Chef Abhijit Saha

Chef Anil Rohira

Chef Bhaskar Sankhari

Chef Davinder Kumar

Chef Deepa Awchat

Chef Joy Bhattacharya

Chef Kunal Kapur

Chef Manjit Gill

Chef Mayank Kulshreshtha

Chef Narendra Thimmaiah

Chef Nimish Bhatia

Chef Pallav Singhal

Chef Pankaj Bhadouria

Chef Rajesh Dubey

Chef Ramaswamy Selvaraju

Chef Ritu Dalmia

Chef Sabyasachi Gorai

Chef Salil Fadnis

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

Chef Shaun Kenworthy

Chef Soundarajan P

Chef Sudhir Pai

Chef Vicky Ratnani

Chef Vijaya Bhaskaran

Chef Vikas Khanna

Now, isn’t it a thing of utmost joy to have these culinary stalwarts grace the grip of your fingers & share their recipes & stories with you?

The event ended on a healthy note, with Chef Sabyasachi Gorai interacting with us while giving us an informal demo on how to prepare the “Ancient Mixed Millets Risotto with Prawns in Coconut Cream”

About the author “Dr. Saagarika Ghoshal” :

She’s the Director of Human Resources at METRO-Cash & Carry India. A lady, who has gone ahead to appreciate food & develop a bond with it. She’s a versatile individual.

When asked what inspired her?She quoted,” Inspiration is an ongoing process, I get inspired everyday”

She reiterated METRO’s commitment to serving the industry. “The chefs in this book have distinguished themselves by the quality, refinement and creativity they bring to each and every dish they serve. METRO hopes to fuel this passion for food not just amidst established chefs, but more importantly, ignite it in future culinarians who dream of blazing a trail in the world of food”, said Dr. Ghoshal

I, loved the book & I found it, strike a chord with its readers. The book excites you as the pages flip, leaving you helpless in delirium about which recipe is your favourite.

A must have for the foodie soul & someone who loves experimenting with food. This is a compact, flavour filled & an easy to follow cookbook.